A set of skis is a pair of narrow strips of wood, metal, or plastic curving upward in front that are used especially for gliding over snow. They can range in length from 2 or 3 feet for children's skis to over 6 feet for adults and professionals. In recreational skiing it is often necessary for the participant to carry the skis for several hundred yards to get from transportation to the ski slopes. If an adult is skiing with one or more children, they may have to carry more than one set of skis. Because of their shape, it is often awkward to carry skis. While they don't have excessive weight, they can weigh over ten pounds.
Conventionally, skis have bindings that extend from their top surface which allow ski boot to be attached to the skis. Thus, skis are typically carried over the shoulder with the bottom surfaces of the skis in contact with each other and arranged parallel to each other. However, because of their length, they tend to splay, so that they are no longer parallel and are even more difficult to carry. One way the splaying has been addressed in the prior art is to place elastic bands around the two skis at both the front and rear.
Carrying skis over the shoulder can become difficult because of the pressure on the top of the shoulder. Also, at least one arm is needed to balance the skis on the shoulder. Thus, devices have been proposed in the past to address this problem. One popular technique is to use a back pack and to fasten one ski on each side. This leaves the user's hands free and the weight is distributed over the user's back through the back pack. However, fastening the skis to the back pack can be complicated, especially at low temperatures when the user is wearing ski gloves. Also, fastening and unfastening the skis can be time-consuming. More importantly, only a single pair of skis can typically fastened to the back pack.
Another approach from the prior art is to use a set of straps. One strap is used to bind together the skis at the front and a second strap is used to bind the skis at their rear end. Then a third strap connects the first and second straps and acts as a handle. In order to deal with the problem of manipulating the straps at cold temperatures, they are typically provided with Velcro® materials to secure the straps about the skis. However, because of the weight of the skis, it is often necessary to secure the strap with several folds of Velcro® material. In one prior art device, the user must pass a Velcro® section through a loop and fasten it back on itself. In cold weather even this looping process can be difficult with ski gloves on. Further, Velcro® material can be relatively expensive.
With the strap design it is necessary to connect the first strap at one end of the pair of skis and the second strap at the other end. This may involve holding the skis vertically while a strap is secured and then either bending over to reach the other end or tuning the skis over. This complicates the attachment procedure and causes delays. This is especially a problem when an adult is dealing with his own skis as well as the skis of a couple of children.
Thus, it would be advantageous if there were an inexpensive device that could be fastened to skis easily and quickly so they can be carried.